


A League of Synergy

by Mietten_Pokken



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: Alternate Canon, Awkward Romance, F/M, Friendship, Mega Evolution, Mystery, Pokken Tournament, Revelations, Self-Doubt, Slow Build, Slow Romance, Team Bonding, movie 19 never happens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-01-10 23:45:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12310407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mietten_Pokken/pseuds/Mietten_Pokken
Summary: When a trainer from a neighboring region mentions a new phenomenon during one of Ash's battles, the gang take a trip to the Ferrum Region to learn about it's synergy and participate in the Pokken Tournament. Along the way the meet friends old, new, rivals and enemies that question the hearts of both humans and pokemon.





	1. A Boy From A Ferrum Region

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Pokemon fanfic I've had the idea for after playing Pokken Tournament. It's a fun game, but the story was obviously last minute due to Pokken Tournament being an arcade game. Well, this story takes place in the anime and will combine elements from Pokken Tournament, and a few other games as well.

A League of Synergy

Chapter 1

A Boy from a Ferrum Region

In the world of Pocket Monsters, Pokemon for short, adventure lurks around every corner. Trainers and their pokemon travel to grow stronger and forge powerful bonds. With the discovery of Mega Evolution, trainers and pokemon have been able to push the friendship to even greater heights. However, there is a precursor to Mega Evolution that only those raised to believe in it and a few researchers have heard about it. This phenomenon requires something more than just two fancy stones to bring out a pokemon’s hidden power.

Synergy…

In Mer Bleue City, a boy named Alix and his Mawile were on their way to the Pokemon Center. It has been a year since they left on their travels through the Kalos region. Unlike most trainers, Alix did not challenge the gyms and collect the eight gyms badges for the Pokemon League. He wanted to grow strong enough to compete for a league back in his home region.

“We’re finally here Mawile,” Alix came to a stop and held his knees. He could see the Pokemon Center’s sign over the horizon, “I can’t wait to tell Nia about all of the adventures and pokemon we met in Kalos. Mom too!”

“Mawile!” the deceiver pokemon pointed to her headband, a particular stone was keeping the not together.

“I think we should save that surprise for when we get to Neos City,” Alix smiled, hoisting Mawile onto his shoulders. The little pokemon shrugged her shoulders to say that she was neutral on the idea.

The duo continued down the path to the center. They passed a few pokemon and trainers along the way. If there was one unique thing about Kalos, it was the fashion trends. Sometimes Alix would just take out his tablet and sketch or take photos of the people and pokemon he saw while walking around. He liked to draw so much that he considered himself an artistic trainer. For now, he focused on getting to the Pokemon Center.

“Greninja, use Cut!”

“Dragonite, attack and counter with Thunder Punch!”

Alix and Mawile saw sparks fly from the front of the Pokemon Center. They ran toward the back and squeezed through a crowd to see the battle that was going on. Maybe watching a quick battle wouldn’t hurt.

A boy and his Greninja were currently in a battle with a boy and his Dragonite. From the looks of things, the Greninja took some major damage from that Thunder Punch.

“Gre...ninja,” the water/dark-type pokemon groaned as electricity flew off his body. He dropped to one knee and pounded his fist into the ground.

“Greninja’s almost done!” Dragonite’s trainer yelled, “Let’s knock this one out of the park with Thunder!”

“Dragon!” the dragon pokemon charged electricity in its antennas, waiting for enough power to knock Greninja out right there and then.

“They needed to counter-attack before it’s too late,” Alix murmured. He was unaware of the honey-blonde girl who looked at him briefly after saying that.

Greninja’s trainer clenched his fist, the flames of determination were visible in his eyes, “Don’t give up Greninja! I know we can win this together!”

“Pi-ka!” the trainer's Pikachu seemed to be cheering on Greninja as well.

Together, together. The words echoed within the Greninja’s mind. He saw the Dragonite getting ready to aim the attack. He was not going to let that happen.

“Gre…”

Greninja rose slowly.

“Nin…”

He dropped his arms to his sides and clenched his fists.

“Ja!”

In an instance water surrounded Greninja as if he was caught in a whirlpool. Not only that, but his eyes glowed red with parts of his body began to change. Come to think of it; he resembled his trainer. The entire audience was astounded by the transformation as no has ever seen a Greninja do something like this before. Most assumed it was some form of Mega Evolution.

“Amazing,” Alix awed at the sight that Greninja and took out his tablet, “I had no clue a Greninja could mega-evolve.”

Alix took a quick picture of the Greninja before his trainer commanded an attack. After looking at the picture, he noticed that the dark/water-type pokemon was lacking a mega stone (or Greninjaite if the mineral existed). His trainer also lacked a keystone. They both had a gadget on their wrist, but it was something else entirely.

“Ash and Greninja are completely in sync with each other!” a lemon-haired boy exclaimed. He was looking at some computer while the battle was taking place.

“ Completely in sync with each other?” Alix repeated and then he gasped, “Is… is that Synergy Burst ?”

“Synergy Burst?”

The same girl from before overheard Alix’s hypothesis. They looked at each other briefly before turning their attention back to the battle.

“Use Aerial Ace Greninja!” Ash yelled as he did an uppercut, “up close and personal!”

In the blink of an eye, Greninja was already barraging Dragonite in a flurry of punches and finally a roundhouse kick to the stomach. The force of the sent Dragonair flying backward into a tree and leaving a huge dent in the tree’s trunk.

"Dragonite is unable to battle!" apparently, the lemon-haired boy was also the referee, "the victory goes to Greninja and Ash."

Ash fell to the ground, breathing heavily. That power boost left him exhausted for some reason, "Heh, heh, good job there Greninja."

"Pika, pika!" A pikachu happened to be with Ash during the entire battle.

Greninja held out his hand to Ash, "Greninja!"

After Ash was helped up by Greninja there was a camera flash. It happened at the exact moment the water disappeared from Greninja. The two of them and Pikachu looked over at the crowd; they saw Alix holding his tablet up high."It looks like we have a fan among the crowd," Ash smiled, noticing the smile on Alix's face.

After the battle, Ash asked Nurse Joy to heal his Pokemon. Aside from Greninja, Ash's Pikachu and Hawlucha battled against a Magmar and Scyther respectively. The Luminous conference was still far away due how fast Ash's gym battles have been going. He knew his pokemon were ready for the Kalos League after all the training they have been doing these past weeks. Although, he still wanted to get the hang of Greninja's form as it could be useful in the league.

"If you keep up this winning streak up Ash, you'll take the Kalos League by storm!" said a young girl named Bonnie.

Ash was embarrassed by the girl's praise, "I don't know about winning the league by storm Bonnie. I'm sure there will be many trainers in the league who will give us a challenge."

"But with Ash-Greninja as a secret weapon, you'll take everyone by surprise," that was Bonnie's nickname for the transformation, "no one will see it coming."

"And that’s why Ash should only use it when going up against a strong opponent," Clemont, the lemon-haired boy, smiled, "the form is similar to mega evolution so, it would be a wise decision to use it against an opponent with a keystone."

"Like a mega-evolution," ever since that battle in the ninja village, Ash has wondered what this transformation really was. Did all Greninja have this power or was his Greninja unique from the rest. Are delphox and chesnaught capable of this transformation? He suddenly pictured Serena's Braixen as a Delphox with her color scheme.

Speaking of Serena.

"Serena?" the honey-haired girl was knocked out her daydream when Bonnie called her name, "What do you think of Greninja's transformation?"

"Well…," Serena recalled the battle from earlier, "remember that boy who was standing next to me during Ash's battle?"

"Uh…," Clemont tried to remember who was around them, but there were a lot of people.

Bonnie sighed, "You were focused on your computer at the time big brother. His hair was purple, his glasses were red, and he had a cute Mawile with him."

Ash snapped his fingers, "I remember him now. He took or tried to take a picture of Greninja before the transformation wore off."

Serena nodded, "When everyone in the crowd kept shouting Greninja has a mega-evolution, he called it something else. Sign? Energetic? Synergy!"

"Synergy?" Clemont rubbed his chin.

"Synergy Burst!" Serena completed the phrase, "That's what he called it."

"I wonder if he's still around the Pokemon Center," Ash pondered.

"Pikaaa!"

Nurse Joy placed a tray with Pikachu and the rest of Ash's pokeballs on the table.

"Here you go!" She smiled, "Pikachu and the rest of your Pokemon are rested and feeling much better."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," said Ash, "by any chance did you see a trainer with a mawile around here?"

"Purple hair and red glasses?" the group nodded at Nurse Joy's questions, "I believe that was Alix. He should be upstairs in the pc room using one of the video phones right about now."

Ash and the gang entered the computer room. Many people were checking their emails, video chat, or transferring pokemon to leave an open slot on their team.

It was not too long until they found Alix near the back of the room. He was sitting at one of the computers with a video chat screen open. A young woman was talking to him on the other end.

"Looks like you had a lot of fun during your travels in the Kalos Region," the woman smiled, sliding her glasses below her eyes, "I hope you were doing more than just sightseeing and drawing the pictures you sent me."

"Of course Nia!" Alix placed his hands in his lap, "Mawile and I will be ready for the Ferrum League this time!"

"Mawile!" she jumped and kicked the air.

"That's the attitude I like to hear!" Nia crossed her right arm over chest, "Have a safe trip home and call me once you get to Neos City!"

"Weavile!" Nia’s pokemon pressed his paws against the computer screen.

"Will do!" Alix signed off and looked at Mawile, "You ready to go?"

"Mawile!" she nodded, handed over his tablet.

"Oh yeah…," Alix thought about that boy and his Greninja. He meant to tell Nia about that transformation, but it slipped his mind. He took out some headset and held it in his hand.

"Maw! Maw!" Mawile tugged on Alix's pants leg. Whatever she saw gave her excitement.

"What's up Mawile?" Alix turned around to see what caught her attention. It left him speechless.

Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were standing right behind him. There was an awkward silence. The sounds of other people in the room suddenly became louder.

"Um, hi there," Ash introduced himself first since it was the polite thing to do, "my name is Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu!"

"Pika," Pikachu waved at Alix and Mawile with a friendly smile.

"I'm Clemont."

"Hi, I'm Bonnie!" the little girl opened up her purse to reveal two pokemon, "And these are my friends Dedenne and Squishy!"

"Dedenene!" the orange mouse pokemon greeted.

Squishy's eye formed a u-shape which showed it was happy to meet a new face.

"And I'm Serena," she could tell Alix recognized her by his facial expression.

"I'm Alix, and this is my partner Mawile," Alix introduced. He felt nervous with the four of them introducing themselves out of the blue, "Is there something we can help you with?"

"You can," Ash looked at Serena and then back at Alix, "Serena overheard you calling the form my Greninja takes on synergy burst ."

"I was talking that loud?" Alix asked Serena, his cheeks reddening slightly. That would explain why she kept looking over at him during the battle.

Serena nodded, "More like thinking out loud, but what is synergy burst?"

Alix was about to explain the story passed down from his region's history, but he remembered there was a boat the needed to catch. He looked over his shoulder at the computer screen to see the time, "Can we walk and talk while I explain everything?"

On their way to the city docks, Alix explained the term of synergy burst to Ash and the gang. It was a power pokemon tapped into during battle when they feel their trainers heart reaching out to them. A rainbow-like aura will surround the pokemon as they gain a temporary boost in their speed, power, and sometimes endurance. However, one thing sparked interest in Ash the most out all.

"Pokken...Tournament?" asked Ash.

Alix nodded and took out a brochure from his backpack, "It's the official league of the Ferrum Region. You move way up in the ranks, enter the tournament, and then you challenge the leader of that league to progress to the top. The Chroma League is officially the final league, but you can participate in the Iron league if you want to challenge Champion Alyssa and her Pikachu."

The brochure showed off a group of trainers with the title: League Promoters. Serena noticed that one promoter had a Braixen; said Braixen was riding on a stick similar to witch riding on a broom. The thought of using that technique in a forest made her heart flutter. Likewise, Ash and Pikachu were interested in Alyssa and her Pikachu, who was dressed in a luchador’s outfit.

"Attention passengers, attention passengers!" one of the ship captain's spoke through a pair of speakers, "Anyone headed off to the Ferrum Region needs to leave for the ships right now. We will be departing in a couple of minutes."

"We better get ready then Mawile," Alix said as Serena returned the brochure to him.

"So will you be participating in the Ferrum League Alix?" asked Clemont.

Alix nodded, "Of course! I want to see how far Mawile and I can make after our travel through Kalos! Not to mention my other pokemon would like to test their skills as well."

"Maw mawile!" Mawile exclaimed.

"With that attitude, there's no way you two can lose," Ash tipped his hat in respect, "I just wish we could have a quick battle before you two go."

"Pika pika," Pikachu agreed.

"Wait a second," Bonnie spoke up, "Why don't we just go to Ferrum with Alix? Serena competed in the Master Class Showcase, and Ash has all of his gym badges."

"I could observe how this synergy burst works and make a comparison with Greninja’s transformation," Clemont rubbed his chin, eyes closed, "but what about the Kalos League? Will we be able to make it there one we return?"

"Let's see," all eyes were on Serena as she pulled out a Kalos magazine. She smiled as she read the article, "according to this article we’ll have more than enough time to reach the Lumiose Conference!."

"And the Ferrum League begins a week from today which means more time to train," Alix smiled with his hands behind his back.

Ash looked from Pikachu to Serena and Bonnie to Clemont. Each of them had the same thought on their mind.

"I guess we’re taking a little trip to the Ferrum Region," Ash declared, turning to Alix.

"Then let’s get a move on!" Alix motioned everyone to follow him and Mawile.

The ship everyone boarded was the St. Anne; a luxury cruise from the Kanto region and one both Ash and Pikachu were surprised to see again. They remembered a previous adventure they had on the cruise when their journey first began but brushed off the thought to see what tomorrow had in store for them.


	2. Ash VS. Alix

Pokemon: A League of Synergy

Chapter 2

Ash Vs. Alix

A day later and our heroes finally arrive in the Ferrum Region. As the boat drew its bridge at the docks; Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie could see Neos City. The photo in Alix's brochure was nothing compared to the real deal.  
  
Energetic and upbeat music was heard from the city's entrance; enhancing the vibrancy of the tall buildings showcasing many videos and advertisements. There were booths selling pokemon-themed merchandise like balloons and music cd at a few corners. At the same time a monorail passed by giving its passengers a viewpoint of the city from the sky.  
  
However, there was something that caught Bonnie's eye. A parade was going on in the city to celebrate a certain water type pokemon.  
  
"Look at that parade!" Bonnie squealed, "They're all singing and dancing dressed like Magikarp!"  
  
The sound of roller coaster took her attention away from the festival. There was an amusement park east of the city with a Diggersby as its mascot.  
  
"We she should go to Diggersby Island!" Bonnie screamed as she read the location huge sign. Right then she heard the beautiful musical of the Magikarp Festival, "Never mind, let's go to the Magikarp Festival!"  
  
Dedenne and Squishy agreed with her as they looked at everything from her yellow purse.  
  
The older trainers smiled at Bonnie's excitement for both events. They could squeeze in a little sightseeing depending on the Ferrum League schedule.  
  
"I promise we'll go see everything in the city after we're all set up for the league Bonnie," Alix leaned in closer to her and whispered, "I think you'll enjoy Diggersby Island more than the Magikarp Festival. There are more rides and games than the festival and it's open every day until midnight."  
  
"Until midnight!" grinned Bonnie, her cheek pink and eyes full of stars, "that's so cool!"  
  
"I better carry her before she faints from any more excitement," said Clemont as he hoisted Bonnie over his shoulders.  
  
"So where do we sign up for the league Alix?" asked Ash. He noticed a stadium in the distance, "At that stadium over there?"  
  
"Actually we sign at the Pokemon Center," Alix answered, "after we get some Battle AR's we'll be all set!"  
  
"Battle AR's?" none of them were familiar with the name.  
  
Alix pointed to the device on the side of his head. Everyone saw it on him before, but assumed it was just a type of headset, "The Battle AR-"

* * *

"-holds a fragment of our synergy stone which allows trainers and pokemon achieve synergy with each other," said Nurse Joy as she handed took out a box full of the devices.  
  
Ash reached for a blue one while Serena and Clemont picked up pink and turquoise respectively.  
  
"Fits like charm!" Ash said as he made sure the battle ar was in place, "Isn't it cool Pikachu?"  
  
Pikachu gave the device a gentle touch and nodded. Like his trainer, he was curious on how the device worked.  
  
Nurse Joy noticed that Bonnie was trying to reach for the box and placed an orange Battle AR near her hand. She smiled at the young girl's excitement.  
  
"It's so pretty," Bonnie showed the device to her two pokemon.  
  
"Do we get to keep these after we leave Ferrum Nurse Joy?" Serena asked. She thought the ar made a nice accessory.  
  
"Of course," Nurse Joy answered nicely, "Trainers are more than welcome to keep their Battle AR. Just remember that they only work in Ferrum and nowhere else. I'm sure Alix mentioned that to all of you."  
  
"Uh, I might have forgotten that minor detail…," Alix grinned while rubbing the back of his head.  
  
Mawile made the same face as Alix. She could have mentioned that to Pikachu along the way.  
  
"So are we able to sign up for the the tournament now?" Ash asked. He wanted to be ready for the tournament as soon as possible.  
  
"Just enter your name and I'll add you to the roster," Nurse Joy held arm out the four computers near the wall. Ash, Clemont, and Alix went to a computer to sign up while Serena stood at the desk with Bonnie. Nurse Joy thought she was going to enter as well, "Are you planning on entering the tournament Serena?"  
  
"Oh, I'm not really a battler Nurse Joy," Serena wasn't expecting that question at all, "I'll just cheer my friends on from the stands."  
  
"No way," Bonnie held onto her arm, "the tournament sounds like a lot of fun."  
  
"You might come up with some ideas for another performance," Clemont added as he, Ash, and Alix finished up with their registration.  
  
"A wise person once said to just believe in yourself and your pokemon," Alix smiled.  
  
Serena looked at her shows and clasped her hands together, "I'm still not sure about entering though."  
  
She looked up when a hand touched her shoulder. Her face warmed up as she caught sight of the black glove.  
  
"Don't feel discouraged Serena," Ash's voice was gentle and full of compassion, "I know that you and your pokemon are strong enough to compete in the tournament. The love the four of you have for one another will help all the way through the tournament!"  
  
"Pika pika!" Pikachu chimed in.  
  
Serena felt herself lost in Ash's words. They were inspirational and true as well. She made up her decision, "I think I'll enter the tournament after all."  
  
"That's the spirit!" Ash said as Serena walked toward the computer.  
  
Nurse Joy noticed the redness on Serena's face, thinking it was cute, "You certainly had an effect on her Ash."  
  
"Yeah, a major effect," Bonnie noticed Serena slump her head down low.  
  
Nurse Joy found it humorous that Bonnie was mature enough to understand Serena's feelings for Ash. She decided to go back to the important details.  
  
"Now that you're all set up you need to find an advisor. I hope Alix didn't forget to mention that."  
  
"Not at all Nurse Joy!" Alix smiled with confidence, "We were going to find Nia after everyone received an Battle AR."  
  
Nurse Joy raised her eyebrow and smirked, "And you remember how find an advisor? I know your friends are staying with you during their time in Ferrum, but you know the league rules."  
  
Serena rejoined the group and looked from Nurse Joy to Alix. He turned toward Ash and took out a pokeball.  
  
"Remember that battle you wanted to have with me Ash?"

* * *

Ash and the gang were led to an open area near a park. Some trainers and pokemon were already in battles trying to attract an advisor. Others were relaxing and hanging out casually. A Jigglypuff doodling on its sleeping trainer's face brought reminded Ash of his previous adventures.  
  
"Is this a big enough space for a battle Ash?" Alix asked, regaining Ash's focus.  
  
"It's perfect! Mind if we have a three on three battle?"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
"I'll be the referee," Clemont announced as he stood in the space between the two trainers, "Since this is a three on three battle, the victor is the last pokemon standing. There will be no substitutions allowed. Any objections?"  
  
"Sounds good to me!" Alix smiled.  
  
"Same here!" Ash exclaimed as he tossed the pokeballs of Greninja and Noivern into the air. He grabbed the orange wristband from his fight the other day and strapped it onto his wrist. Greninja did the same.  
  
"Is that wristband helping you activate the transformation?" Alix asked,  pointed towards the device.  
  
"Sort of," Ash hesitated a little with his answer, "Clemont uses it to measure how in sync Greninja and I are during a battle."  
  
"Really?" Alix turned to Clemont.  
  
The blonde inventor nodded and then remembered his second set of  pulse meters.  
  
"Serena, can you get my other two pulse meter for Alix and Mawile?"  
  
"Of course," Serena found another pair that was blue in color. She handed one to Alix and helped Mawile with the other one. When the two of them were ready, Alix reached for two pokeballs and tossed them into the air.  
  
"Wow, a Flareon and Flygon!" Serena took out her pokedex to look the two pokemon.

**_Flareon, the flame pokemon. Flareon’s fluffy fur releases heat into the atmosphere so it won’t get excessively hot._ **

**_Flygon, the mystic pokemon. The flapping of its wings sounds like singing._ **

"They’re both so cute and fluffy!" Bonnie said, wishing to take nap on Flygon’s wings.  
  
"Okay…," Clemont held his arm up high, and quickly let it down, “battle begin!”

Ash smirked and threw his hand out, “Pikachu, you're up first!”

“Pika pika!” Pikachu said as he hopped off of Ash’s shoulder.

“Flareon, let’s make a blazing start!” Alix said as he held his hand forward

“Flare, flareon!” Flareon ran in front of Alix, and stared Pikachu down.

The two sides were waiting for either one to make the first move. Pikachu’s cheeks sparked with electricity, and Flareon’s eyes burned like the sun. A glare shinned off Alix’s glasses.

“Flareon, let’s start off with Flamethrower!” Alix commanded. Flareon inhaled and released a stream of fire toward Pikachu The electric type pokemon jumped to evade the attack.

“Now Pikachu, use Quick Attack!” Ash commanded. Pikachu’s did frontal flip and a white streak covered his body. He aimed himself right for Flareon.

“Flamethrower again!”

The fiery stream was not quick enough to catch Pikachu. Up, down, left, right; not matter which direction Flareon chased him, Pikachu was just too fast.

“Now!” Ash yelled. Pikachu stopped himself with one paw and turned around at the same time.

“Pi-ka!” He slammed into Flareon, sending the fire-type skidding across the pavement.

“Are you okay Flareon?” Alix asked. The fire-type nodded, shaking off the blow from that quick attack. Alix looked back at Pikachu. _I never expected Pikachu to be this fast. Maybe our next move will close the distance._ “Flareon, use Flamecharge!”

“Dodge, and use Thunderbolt!” Ash called. Pikachu jumped over Flareon and charged up elecricity through his cheeks.

“Flamecharge, again!” Alix ordered. Instead of heading toward Pikachu, Flareon used the Flamecharge to maneuver away from the Thunderbolt. “Now, use Flamethrower!”

“No you don’t!” Ash declared, “Pikachu, use Electroball!”  
  
“Pika! Pika, pika, pika, chu-,” before Pikachu could complete the Electroball, Flareon was already above him. The Flamethrower made a direct hit.

“Pikachu!” Ash gasped as his buddy hit the ground. He could see smoke coming from the burn mark on his back, “can you go on?”

Pikachu grimaced as the burn mark stinged when flexing his back. Nevertheless, he was still able to continue, “Pikachu!”

“Great!” Ash smiled, already having an attack in mind. He was about to call it until he noticed something different about Pikachu. The electricity coming from his cheeks were different.

“Is it just me or is Pikachu glowing,” Serena could see a blue outline forming around Pikachu’s body. Not only that, Pikachu was smirking the exact way Ash does during a battle.

“Interesting,” Clemont said as he quickly took a couple of notes.  
_Synergy Burst, already?_ Alix decided to attack while Ash was distracted, “Flareon, Firespin!”

Flareon released another stream of flame; this time it was a spiral of a bright red and white flame.

Ash looked up just in time to see the attack. He already had an idea in mind, “Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!”

“Pi-Ka-Chuuu!” Pikachu unleashed the Thunderbolt, but it was different. It was not just yellow, but a translucent blue electricity as well. When it collided with the Firespin, it broke through it in with no struggle. Flareon’s eyes shrinked in fear.

“Flareon!” Alix yelled as he heard the cry of his pokemon. When the electricity faded away, Flareon was lying on the ground, fainted.

“Flareon is unable to battle,” Clemont said, looking up from his notebook, “this round goes to Pikachu and Ash.”

“Good job Pikachu!” Ash gave Pikachu a high hive. That was a bad idea as he, Greninja, and Noivern felt a jolt from the electricity that finally disappeared from Pikachu’s body.

“You did great out there Flareon, take rest,” Alix said as he returned Flareon to his pokeball. He looked over at Clemont, “Did you get that Clemont? That is what we call _Burst Mode_.”

“So that was Synergy Burst,” Ash said with a hand on his hips, “awesome!”

“Burst Mode,” Clemont wrote the term down in his notebook, “Serena, could you take over as referee so, I can keep up with my notes?”

“Sure Clemont,” Serena said as she walked close enough toward the battle field. Ash had chosen Noivern for the second round while Alix was going with Flygon, “Let the battle begin!”

 

* * *

 "Kalos Queen huh?"  
  
"That's what I'm interested in, but my pokemon and I never shy away from a good battle. Isn't that right Slurpuff?"  
  
"Slurpuff, Slur!"  
  
Nia, Alix's Advisor, was showing her new apprentice a tour of Neos City. Like Ash and Friends, she arrived on ship from Kalos.  
  
"There might be something here in Neos City for you in between Ferrum League battles." Nia smiled, "now if I could only find my previous apprentice. He should have arrived here by–"  
  
The sound of two attacks cut Nia off. She and her apprentice ran to the side of the highway they were walking on to see Flygon and Noivern collide in midair again. Both pokemon knocking each other out.  
  
"Looks like a few people are trying to find Advisors of their own," Nia looked closer at the two trainers battling. Purple hair, red glasses, and a Mawile was the dead giveaway, "and I just found my first apprentice, Alix."  
  
"Really?" the apprentice asked. Her Slurpuff poked her leg to gain her attention, "What is it Slurpuff?"  
  
The fairy type pokemon pointed toward the other trainer who was returning Noivern to his pokeball. The girl smiled as she recognized the red hat and yellow pikachu from a mile away.  
  
"Looks like a friend of mine is having a battle with your first apprentice."  
  
Nia was surprised, "Oh really? Let's go down there and get a closer look."  
  
"It's down to Greninja and Mawile….," Clemont said as he turned on his Clembot Jr. The robot projected a graph showing the wavelengths of Ash, Greninja, Alix, and Mawile.  
  
"Do you think Mawile will be able to keep up with Greninja?" Bonnie asked the two teenagers.  
  
“We'll just have wait and see," Serena answered, as she walked to begin the battle.  
  
"We'll have to watch out for that transformation of theirs Mawile," Alix slipped his hand into his pocket. When he pulled it back up there was a lilac charm around his wrist.  
  
"Let's give our all Greninja!" Ash stated as the ninja pokemon leaped into the air and landed a few feet before him.  
  
"Okay…," a breeze flew by as Serena raised her hat. She lowered it and yelled from her throat, "Let The Battle Begin!"  
  
"Alright Greninja, let's start off with Cut!" the ninja pokemon sprinted forward after Ash's command, a white blade forming in his right hand.  
  
"Dodge it Mawile!" Alix shouted.  
  
Greninja swiped across at Mawile with his blade. The steel/fairy type pokemon almost felt the blade's tip as she jumped, sidestepped, and laid low to avoid getting hit. Her height was probably the only thing keeping her safe from Greninja's speed.  
  
His speed. That gave Mawile an idea.  
  
On Greninja's last swing, she swayed forward and crunched down on his arm with her powerful back jaw. The ninja pokemon cried out in pain.  
  
Ash gritted his teeth and then threw out his fist, "Knock her off with Aerial Ace!"  
  
"Thunder Fang!" Mawile's large jaw sparked electricity, her grip on Greninja tighten.  
  
He cried even louder as the electricity coursed through his body. Ash stomped his foot as the ninja was beginning to slump to his knees.  
  
"Let's try it again Greninja! Shake Mawile off with Aerial Ace!"  
  
Greninja opened his right eye as he fought through the pain. Mawile's headband caught his attention; specifically the object in the center of it. The curiosity gave power to his Aerial Ace.  
  
A knee to the stomach sent Mawile spiralling backwards to the ground. She was still able to get up, but Alix could tell the wind got knocked out of her.  
  
"Can you still go Mawile?" Alix grasped onto his charm tightly. The deceiver looked at the boy from the corner of her eye and smirked. Alix gave her a smirk right back, "I'll take your word for it!"  
  
The synergy burst aura appeared around Mawile.  
  
Clemont looked at the pulse meter graph to see if her and Alix's pulses were overlapping.  
  
Nothing….  
  
The wavelengths were at their highest points, but they were not overlapping. On the other hand, Ash and Greninja's wavelengths were on the verge of merging.  
  
"Ninja," Greninja pointed at Mawile and then at his forehead with his thumb.  
  
"Wile," she turned to Alix and grabbed her wrist.  
  
"R….right now?" Alix stuttered.  
  
"You know," Alix looked at Ash as he continued, "I think Greninja wants Mawile to fight with all her strength. Whether it be synergy burst, or…." Ash pointed at Alix's charm; he knew it was something special, but only now did he realize it's true purpose.  
  
"Mawile," Alix inhaled deeply and pressed down on the stone embedded in his charm, "time go all out, Mega Evolve!"  
  
"It's time to get stronger Greninja," as Ash moved, with Greninja copying his exact actions, "Much Stronger!"  
  
Both Pokemon went into their respective transformations, gaining a massive boost in power. Mawile grew a couple of inches taller and sprouted an extra jaw on her head. Greninja's transformation was slightly different; the water veil that usually surrounds him moved to his back and formed a single water shuriken. Nevertheless, he still had the color hue of Ash's attire.  
  
Alix noticed that the synergy burst wore off. Probably from not using it. None of that mattered, it was time to attack,  
  
"Who would've guessed that Alix had a keystone," said Serena.  
  
"Yeah," Bonnie agreed.  
  
Clemont stood up, holding onto his notebook. He had a feeling this battle would tell him if Ash-Greninja was a synergy burst or not.  
  
"Mawile, double Focus Punch!" The fairy/steel-type dashed forward, both of her fists glowing white.  
  
"Greninja, Ariel Ace one more time!" the ninja pokemon's arms and legs glowed a light blue color as it clashed with Mawile.  
  
The two pokemon matched each other blow for blow; neither side losing their edge.  
  
Ash rubbed his nose and smirked, Alix's certainly trained his Mawile well. I think it's about time to wrap things up.  
  
"Greninja, fall back and use Double Team!" Greninja blocked Mawile's last punch and jumped backwards. He formed the hand sign of the ram as his illusions appeared.  
  
"Blow them away with Fairy Wind!" Mawile spun her two jaws around and blow away all of the clones. She looked around for the real Greninja to find him descending in the air.  
  
"Let's finish with Water Shuriken!" Ash yelled with his hand raised high. Greninja reached for the shuriken on his back and mimicked his trainer's pose.  
  
"Counter it with Shadow Ball!" Alix crossed his arms and pushed his hands forward. Mawile locked her palms together to form the blue sphere.  
  
Greninja swung his arm back as he prepared to release the shuriken. With the thrust of his arm, he tossed it straight for Mawile. Her Shadow Ball was ready, and she launched it with all her strength.  
  
The two attacks collided in mid-air. It looked like they were both going to explode, but the Water Shuriken was pushing the Shadow Ball.  
  
The purple sphere was sliced in half.  
  
It was too fast; Mawile did not have time to react as the shuriken sent her flying backwards, "Wiiiile!"  
  
"Mawile!" Alix screamed at the sight of his pokemon sliding down a bent lamppost. Her mega evolved form wore off as she reached the ground.  
  
"Mawile is unable to battle," Serena yelled from the top of her lungs, "the winners of the match Ash and Greninja!"

 

 

 

 


	3. Friends: Old, New, And Blue

A League of Synergy

Chapter 3 

Friends: Old, New, And Blue

"Mawile is unable to battle, the winners are Ash and Greninja!"

Right after Serena announced them as the winners, Ash and Greninja both faltered to the ground. Greninja laid on his back and gave his trainer a thumbs up. Ash, through his heavy breathing, gave the ninja pokemon a thumbs up in return.

"Yep, we all did a good job," Ash smiled as Pikachu leaned on pants leg.

Alix crouched down next to Mawile as she got up herself. He gently stroked her head and smiled at her, "Are you okay Mawile?"

The deceiver pokemon nodded and crossed her arms. She closed her eyes and smiled pridefully.

"Of course you would be," Alix rested his elbows on his knees, "even though your half fairy, your always tough as steel."

"Mawile!"she muttered playfully while giving her trainer a light jab in his shoulder.

Clemont and Bonnie began to pack up Clembot Jr. and the rest of scientist's belongings. From the notes he took it appeared that Synergy Burst and Greninja's transformation were two separate things.

"What's wrong Clemont?" He looked down to see Bonnie giving him a worried look.

"Nothing," he smiled to his sister, "I was just thinking about synergy burst and the notes I took on it."

"So…," Bonnie held her hands behind her back and grinned, "do you think we finally solved the mystery behind Ash-Greninja?"  
  
Clemont laughed faintly and rubbed the back of his head, "Hehehe…not quite."  
  
As the siblings continued to pack up everything, Serena walked over to Ash to help him up off the ground. At the same time Alix and Mawile walk toward them to thank Ash for their battle.  
  
"Greninja," the ninja pokemon held out his hand to Alix. The purple haired trainer was surprised at first, but shook the pokemon's hand with a kind smile. Mawile did the same as well with Greninja crouching down to her eye level.  
  
"Now that was an eye catching battle. I wasn't expecting you to bring back a keystone," said a woman's voice.  
  
Mawile turning around and running in the direction of the voice gave Alix an idea of who it was. Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena looked on in confusion as Mawile jumped into a women arms and hugged her.  
  
"N…Nia!" Alix eyes lit up at this woman wearing a leather jacket and baggie hat. Then he turned around to Ash and company, "Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie; I would like to introduce you all to Nia. She's my advisor for the Ferrum League."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you," the four kalos trainers said together.  
  
"So are you Alix's teacher?" asked Ash.  
  
"I guess that's one way of putting it," Nia answered as she placed Mawile on the ground. Then she turned to Alix, "I can't say I'm not proud to be your advisor though. Despite the outcome of the battle, you have grown as a trainer."  
  
"Thanks to an awesome advisor," Alix his placed right hand on his hips and then looked over his shoulder to Ash and friends, "not to mention that the trainers in Kalos are no pushovers."  
  
Nia looked at them as well, "So the four of you are from Kalos then?"  
  
"Well, I'm actually from the Kanto region, but we did come with Alix from Kalos," Ash explained, "we were trying to find out if my Greninja's transformation was related to synergy burst and now we're going to enter the Ferrum League!"  
  
"Well I know your advisor is lucky to have a trainer with such enthusiasm."  
  
"Actually Nia," Alix rubbed the sole of his shoe against the sidewalk, "I was hoping that you could be Ash, Serena, and Clemont's advisor. You know, since advisors can look after more than one trainer…if they want to."  
  
Nia squinted her eyes at Alix, pursing her lips, "And you didn't ask me this over the phone why?"  
  
"We actually met Alix after the two of you were finished talking," said Serena in Alix's defense  
  
"And we were already at the docks by the time we made our decision," Clemont added.  
  
Nia smiled with disbelief, "My plans were to advise only Alix and my new apprentice, but there's no problem advising three more trainers.  
  
"New apprentice?" Alix asked, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"Yep!" Nia nodded, "She happened to arrive from the Kalos region before you guys and her slurpuff seemed to recognize Ash."  
  
"Really?" Serena pondered along with Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie, "No, there are many trainers with a slurpuff."  
  
Suddenly, Serena felt two hands grasp her shoulders and voice tickle her right ear, "and I happen to be one of them…"  
  
Serena jumped forward and turned around. She, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all yelled in union, "Miette!"  
  
The blue haired smiled as they called her name, "That's me!" Her slurpuff walked from behind her and waved to everyone.  
  
"Great, you all know each other," Nia clapped with delight. She looked at the time and noticed it was getting close to lunch, "Here's an idea; while Nurse Joy is healing Ash and Alix's pokemon the seven of us will sit down and get to know one another."  
  
The Pokemon Center was a little crowded due to all the trainers trying to find advisors. Nurse Joy said that it might take a while for her to heal their Pokemon as more trainers came through the front doors. The pink haired nurse and her Audino didn't mind the afternoon rush; it was nice to see who would be entering the tournament this year.  
  
After Audino helped Pikachu and Mawile to the backroom; Ash and Alix walked into the dining hall to sit with their friends. They passed by a food bar and decided to help themselves to some of the food. Since they were Ferrum League participants the food was all you can eat. And Ash was taking advantage of the special deal.  
  
"Someone's a little hungry aren't they?" Alix looked at the trainer's plate and was surprised the quantity of food.  
  
Ash chuckled, looking from his plate Alix's, "I never pass up the chance at free food. Especially when it smells so good."  
  
"I can't disagree with that opinion," Alix remarked as he picked up a few rice balls.  
  
When the two trainers finished their preparing their plates they searched the tables for their friends. It was little difficult due to the hall being crowded as well.  
  
They finally found their friends at a table near window. It held a perfect view of the Magikarp Festival and Bonnie was enjoying every minute of it. She barely even touched her plate despite Clemont protesting she finish her vegetable.  
  
"Cool, we have a great view of the festival while we eat."  
  
Ash sat across from Bonnie to get a view of the festival while Alix sat next to Serena and Miette on the side. Serena could relax knowing that Miette had no way of scooting closer to Ash unknowingly. Though, she was not aware of the pokepuff baker catching onto her posture.  
  
Due to everyone being in their own world at the moment, Nia thought it was the best time for everyone to converse. She decided to start off with Ash.  
  
"So Ash, Clemont told me that you're entering the Kalos League."  
  
Ash smirked, "That's right! A lot of powerful pokemon and trainers are going to be there. It's going to be so awesome."  
  
"How many badges have you earned so far," Miette asked, her tone catching Serena's attention, "No doubt you have all eight as strong and skillful as you are."  
  
"I won my last badge from Wulfric a few weeks ago," Ash opened his badge case for everyone to see, "It was tough, but with everyone's support my pokemon and I were able to overcome his ice battlefield."  
  
"Are their only eight pokemon gyms?" asked Alix.  
  
Clemont decided to answer this one, "It depends of the size of the region. In Kalos we have eleven gyms, but other places might range from eight to fifteen gyms. Nevertheless, you only need eight to qualify for any pokemon league."  
  
"I guess the Ferrum League doesn't require trainers to collect gym badges," Serena assumed.  
  
"Instead of badges you earn crests for completing each league," said Nia, "and now that I think about, the league promoters are our own gym leaders in a way."  
  
"If you take into consideration that they all share one gym," Alix joked as he sipped his water, "or in this case battlefield."  
  
"Attention! Attention all Ferrum League participants!"  
  
Everyone turned their attention to the many tv's hanging on the walls. A newscaster named Marcia was preparing to make an announcement about the Ferrum League.  
  
"As we all know the Ferrum League is a week from today; however, league officials would like for all participants to arrive at the league in fifty-five minutes to go over a few things."  
  
With that the station went back to its currently scheduled program. A few people began to pack their belongings and head out the doors.  
  
"Changes?" Nia looked at her phone to check for any notifications, "Huh, they never told the advisor's about any changes." She stood up and grabbed her carrier bag, "They'll probably be a crowd so we should head over there right away."  
  
"But Nurse Joy hasn't brought Pikachu and the rest of our pokemon yet," Ash reminded.  
  
"Pika pi!"  
  
"Mawile!"  
  
Pikachu and Mawile ran to their trainers; each of them holding the pokeballs of their fellow pokemon. Now everyone was ready for the Ferrum Stadium.  
  
Moving through the crowd and sticking close together, Nia was able to lead everyone to the stadium without anyone getting lost. She was surprised at the amount of trainers herself. Pokken Tournament was known to have a large number of competitors each year, but Nia could see that her fellow advisors were taking care of a number of trainers as herself. Grabbing her notebook, she looked over at her group to do a headcount.  
  
"There's, Alix, Miette, Ash, Serena, Clemon"-  
  
No sign of a lemon head anywhere. No sign of a pair of lemon heads anywhere.  
  
"Guys," Ash, Serena, Alix, and Miette gave her the attention, "where are Clemont and Bonnie?"  
  
The four trainers knew that the siblings were standing next to them just moments ago. They looked around until the sound of whining came in their direction.  
  
"Bonnie, I've asked you a million times to stop doing that!"  
  
"You know she would have been able to take care of you! And she was a gym leader too!"  
  
"How does that make us soulmates?"  
  
"There they are…," Nia ran toward the two while Alix was left completely stumped.  
  
"Take care of?"  
  
"Bonnie just wants someone to take care of Clemont when she's old enough to begin her pokemon journey," Ash explained.  
  
Miette looked over to Serena and flashed her signature grin.  
  
"What…what is it?" Serena whispered.  
  
"Oh I was just thinking back to our little competition," Miette pulled her in close, "since we all have the same advisor I'll be spending more time with you guys. And most importantly, I'll be spending more time with Ash. Training…talking…"  
  
"Just remember the more talking you do, the less likely you are to make past the first round," Serena smirked back.  
  
Miette was caught off guard by her rival's come back, but impressed nonetheless, "Just remember to practice what you preach."  
  
Right then the sounds of trumpets, drums, and tubas went off around the stadium. A group of magnemite and magneton flew through the field without little regard for the people they were almost flying into. They swarmed a staircase that was under a rotating sphere and shinned their lights into the dark entrance.  
  
Then a woman's voice came from the stadium speakers.  
  
"Welcome trainers and pokemon, from Ferrum and regions afar!"  
  
A pikachu was the first one to step from the shadows. What set this pikachu apart from others was the luchador outfit she was wearing. Her trainer stood next to her in an outfit that matched the electric type's color scheme.  
  
"Allow me to introduce myself to those of you who don't know me," the woman took a bow, "my name is Alyssa and this is my partner Pikachu."  
  
"Pikachuuu!" the yellow mouse waved to the crowd.  
  
"Together, Pikachu and I are the current champions of the Ferrum League," Alyssa pointed her finger toward the crowd, "but, if you want to challenge us for the championship title sign up for the Iron League after completing the Chrome League. Right now, the two of us will be enjoying every battle taking place at this year's Pokken Tournament alongside a few special guests. And speaking of the battles, we decided to change things up a bit due to the number of participants this year."  
  
Alyssa cleared her throat, "The league officials are aware that each advisor has more than one trainer this year and decided to allow teams for this year's Pokken Tournament. The same rules still apply; keep on winning and move up in the rankings. When you arrive to the promotion test you will have to choose one of your teammates to battle that leagues strongest trainer. With that in mind; train on to become the very best, like no one ever was!"  
  
"Pika pikaaa!" Pikachu threw up her fist in the same manner as her trainer.  
  
The crowd applauded as Alyssa and her Pikachu walked back into the shadows they appeared from. Some groups began to depart while others stayed back to talk about the tournament. Ash was thinking about the Ferrum Champion as he wanted to see the strength of Alyssa Pikachu.  
  
"The Ferrum League Champion huh," Ash looked at Pikachu and back at the spot Alyssa previously stood, "Being in her presence inspires me to become a pokemon master even more."  
  
"Some say it's the strong bond she has with her Pikachu," Nia said a she walked to Ash's side. She gently rubbed Pikachu's head, being careful not to stroke his cheeks, "those have been partners for a long time and achieved perfect synergy with each other. Heck, it was Alyssa's idea to keep Ferrum's synergy stone in the stadium as a reminder to always be one with your Pokemon."  
  
Ash and Pikachu looked at the rotating rock above the podium, "That's the actual synergy stone?"  
  
"The one and only," Nia answered. While she looked up at the stone herself, she noticed that the sky was pitch black save for the full moon, "It's nighttime already? Someone's eevee should be evolving into an umbreon right about now."  
  
"So is there a five star hotel for Pokken participants?" Ash asked hoping that it was true.  
  
"Unfortunately, not until the league begins," Nia sighed. She looked over her shoulder to see what the others were doing. Serena and Miette had brought out Braixen and Slurpuff at some time to check of the stadium. She could overhear Alix asking Serena if the fire-type knew how to use psychic and flamethrower to fly with her stick, "but I know a place you all can stay for now."  
  
Ash and Pikachu looked at Nia in confusion as she giggled to herself. She motioned him to follow her as they regrouped with their friends.  
  
After a one hour ride on the shuttle train, the group of six finally made it to their destination: Old Ferrum Town. It was historically known as The City of Water and famous for the magnificent clock tower in the town's square. That name and the architecture reminded Ash of Alto Mare, the Johto Region's City of Water.  
  
A two story house with a red mailbox was the groups stopping point. The curtains were closed so it was impossible to tell if anyone was awake or not. Nia placed her hand onto Alix's shoulder and whispered into his ear. It wasn't loud enough for the others to hear, but they figured this was Alix house from how fast he and Mawile ran to the front door.  
  
"I hope mom doesn't mind six extra guests for the rest of the week," Alix thought as he pressed the button for the doorbell. He was more worried about waking her up from her sleep; that is if she was sleeping.  
  
There was a click before the entire door was pulled open. A woman roughly taller than Nia covered her mouth, "…Alix!"  
  
"Hey mom," Alix smiled with his hands behind his back.  
  
"Maw maw!" Mawile cheered as she hopped onto Alix's shoulder.  
  
Alix's mother pulled both of them into a warm embrace. Alix returned the hug as he missed his mother the same way. When they let go of each other; Alix gave her a faint smile.  
  
"Mom, is it okay if I have a few friends over," Alix drew his mother's attention to the front of the yard.  
  
Nia walked up to the porch while everyone else followed her, "It's nice to see you again Mrs. Thomas."  
  
"Thanks again for the dinner and letting everyone stay here until the Ferrum League begins," Nia said as she was setting off for home herself.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to stay here for tonight?" Mrs. Thomas knew Nia was capable of protecting herself, but they had enough room for one more.  
  
Nia smiled at the woman's motherly nature, "I'll have Weavile with me just in case anything goes wrong. Have a good night Mrs. Thomas."  
  
The pokken advisor waved goodbye and headed down the street. When Mrs. Thomas heard the sound of a pokeball being tossed she closed the front door. She looked at dining table to see that everyone was helping clean up the dishes. Bonnie was yawning so Mrs. Thomas walked her to the room she, Serena, and Miette would be sleeping in.  
  
Ash and Alix were the last to wash the dishes while Serena, Miette, and Clemont looked around the house. Mawile and Pikachu watched the two boys with Pikachu enjoying a drink a red, glass bottle.  
  
"Your mom's really nice," Ash smiled as he placed a plate into the dishwasher, "it was kind of her to let us stay here after we showed up unannounced."  
  
"My dad would always say that her kindness is the best thing about her," Alix closed his and smiled, "though she can be a little embarrassing sometimes."  
  
"Aren't all moms," Ash could remember the times when his mother constantly reminded him to pack enough underwear for his journeys. Sometimes his friends were present during the conversation.  
  
"Pikachu?" the electric pokemon tugged on Alix's pants and pointed at the red bottle he finished.  
  
Alix inspected the bottle and realized it was one of those fancy ketchup bottles found at restaurants. There was more ketchup in it when everyone was eating dinner, "Just toss that into the recycle bin Pikachu."  
  
Next it was Mawile who tugged at Alix pants leg. She put her hands together and rested her head on them like a pillow.  
  
"Someone's ready for bed," Alix said as he reached for Mawile's pokeball, "goodnight Mawile."  
  
"Speaking of bed, where are we going to sleep?" asked Ash.  
  
"Probably in my room," answered Alix, "I have a bunk bed so you and Clemont can sleep in that while use an air mattress."  
  
"Actually sweetie," Mrs. Thomas came from upstairs, "Bonnie, Serena, and Miette will be sleeping in your room. You, Ash, and Clemont will sleep in the guest bedroom."  
  
"Great, I won't be sleeping on that air mattress after all," Alix said in relief. He looked over toward Ash and Pikachu. The two were looking at a few photos hanging on the wall, "I'll show you to the guest room Ash."  
  
"Okay!" Ash and Pikachu followed him into the hallway.  
  
When they were out of sight, Mrs. Thomas smiled and looked at a picture hanging on the wall left of her. It was a family photo taken when Alix was still a young child.  
  
"You have a lovely house Mrs. Thomas," Serena said as she and Miette came from the hallway. The honey blonde had brought Mrs. Thomas out of her reminisce.  
  
Miette noticed a display case holding five ribbons sitting atop the fireplace. They each looked as dazzling as a princess key. She wondered how she missed them on the way in, "And those ribbons above the fireplace are really beautiful."  
  
"Why thank you," said Mrs. Thomas with a smile. She would love to tell the two girls about the ribbons, but that could wait for tomorrow, "I think it's about time for us to get some sleep. I'll show you two to your room."


	4. School Days

The morning sun dawned above Old Ferrum Town to begin a brand new day. Bird pokemon were flying through with carrier bags wrapped around their waists. Each of them carried a few letters, invitations of sorts. A starly descended on top of the mailbox in Mrs. Thomas’s front yard. It placed an envelope with an articuno seal into the mailbox.

* * *

“Staryu…,” the star shaped pokemon entered the guest room and shook Alix. When did not wake up, she used psychic to gently place his glasses on his face. Feeling something on his face, the Ferrum trainer woke up.

“It’s nice to see you to Staryu,” Alix said with a yawn. He tried not to disturb Mawile as he sat up, indian-style, “and thanks for not using water gun on me like you did when I was a younger.”

“Good morning,” Ash said as he and Pikachu both woke up. The two noticed Staryu next to Alix’s bed, “Cool, a Staryu! Is it yours?”

“My mom’s,” Alix said as Staryu did a little dance for Ash and Pikachu.

“It’s more lively than a staryu Pikachu and I have met,” Ash said as he recalled one of his past friends, Misty, having a Staryu.

“Bonnie please stop! I can’t marry all of them!” Clemont muttered in his sleep. After calming down he began to snore.

Alix smirked at the sleeping inventor. He knew his idea was wrong, but it would be funny to watch,”Do you want to see something funny Ash?”

“Um, sure?” Ash and Pikachu were trying to figure out why he was looking from Staryu to Clemont.

In the dining room Serena, Bonnie, and Miette were eating breakfast with Mrs. Thomas. She was beginning to tell the tem the story of her ribbons until they heard a scream coming from the hallway.

"What was that?" Serena asked after gaining a tight grip on her cup.

"It sounded like a child screaming after they saw a bug or something," said Miette.

Mrs. Thomas chuckled and crossed her arms after feeling a cool breeze, "I think my Staryu was just getting reacquainted with Alix."

Back in the guestroom, Clemont woke up after hearing that loud scream. He put on his glasses to see Ash, Pikachu, and Staryu laughing at Alix; whose glasses were frozen solid on his face.

"Hahaha…aw man, you were right Alix!" Ash said through his laughter, "that was hilarious!"

"Pikaaaa!"

Alix sighed, his breath was showing from the cold glasses. Then he glared at Staryu, "This is why I always liked Dustox better."

“Star!” the water-type sprayed Alix with a water-gun and ran out of the room. He could be heard snickering as Alix screamed cold over and over.

“What’s going on?” Clemont asked, wondering what he awoken to.

Ash stopped laughing for a moment and, “Just a practical joke gone wrong.”

* * *

After washing up, getting dressed, and Flareon melting the ice off Alix's glasses (and his face for that matter); the three boys, Pikachu, and Mawile ate breakfast at the kitchen table while Mrs. Thomas continued telling the girls about her ribbons. Ash began listening in on the conversation when Twinleaf Town was mentioned. Though he zoned out when the topic switched from the contest to the outfits worn at the contest, and then to Mrs. Thomas wanted to show the girls pictures of Alix in a Pokemon Contest. The last part making Alix slump into his seat.

“Those pokemon Contest sound like they're different from the pokemon Showcases,” Clemont inferred.

“In a way they are,” Ash said after taking a bite out of a pancake, “the pokemon are the main ones performing in a contest while a trainer is directing them. And after the performance round is the battle round. In that round whichever side lowers the others score wins.”

“It’s sounds like you're speaking from experience Ash,” Clemont smiled.

Ash rubbed the back of his head and smiled, “Well I have a few friends who are pokemon Coordinators, and I participated in a couple while traveling with them. They’re only located throughout the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and apparently Ferrum regions though.”

“At least Miette and Serena have the pokemon Showcases,” Alix smiled brushing off the thought of the pictures his mother was passing around, “both of them seem really passionate about it.”

“Have you seen a pokemon Showcase on your travels Alix?” Clemont asked.

“Two or three in a pokemon Center,” said Alix.

“Did you vote for Serena or Miette?” Bonnie suddenly appeared in between Clemont and Alix at the table, “Or did you vote for Serena in one and Miette in another one.”

“I don’t remember who I voted for,” Alix looked to see if Serena and Miette were listening. Luckily, they were still indulge with his mother’s contest stories, “there were a lot performers you know.”

“He probably would have recognized Serena and Miette if he saw them in a showcase Bonnie,” said Clemont.

“Maybe Serena could show you, Nia, and your mother one of her performances one day,” Ash smiled, “there really amazing.”

“And Miette,” Bonnie said with sly smile.

“Of course,” Ash didn’t even realize he forgot to mention her name since she was Serena’s first and heated rival.

“Dustox!” everyone turned their attention to the poison moth pokemon as she used psychic to close the front door. She had an envelope in her mouth and dropped it into Alix’s lap.

“For me?” Alix asked as he opened the envelope and read the letter, “Oh!”

“What’s it say?” asked Ash. Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder to get a better look at the letter himself.

“It’s an invitation to a class reunion of sorts,” Alix smiled, “Professor Willow’s inviting his former students and their guests to his academy/laboratory.”

“Professor Willow?” asked Serena

“Is he Ferrum’s pokemon Professor?” asked Clemont.

Alix nodded and told them about the professor, “He researches pokemon habitats and distribution throughout the world, but he also created the battle ar to research synergy. And graduates of his academy are paired with an advisor if they plan on entering the Ferrum League.”

“So is that how you and Nia met each other?” Miette asked.

“That’s right,” Alix smiled, “now that I think about, she probably received an invitation to.”

“So does this mean you’re going to your class reunion?” Bonnie asked, “I would love to see any pokemon the professor has at his laboratory.”

“I’m a little curious on how he created the battle ar’s myself,” Clemont said, stroking his chin.

“I guess we’ll have to ask Nia when she gets her,” Alix decided.

* * *

Most citizens in Old Ferrum Town begin their day with a trip to the bakery to enjoy a breakfast bagel while taking in a view of the morning sun. It was also a popular spot for some pokemon to come along and get a quick bite to eat from the bakers in the kitchen, or a kind person sharing at one of the outdoor tables.

"What do you think this is, some kind of sampling plate!?" Jessie yelled as a taillow pinched off a piece of her bread and tried to fly with the entire loaf. This was the first time in a while that Team Rocket could afford to feed not only themselves but, their pokemon as well. She swatted at the tiny swallow to shoo it away; however, it pecked her repeatedly, and flew away with a loaf of bread in addition to the one it nibbled off of, "Why did we decide to eat outside anyway?"

"The waiter said that all of the tables were full remember," answered James.

"And look at the bright side," Meowth chimed in, "Nothing happened to your hair this time."

"Wobbuffet!" the patient pokémon saluted.

Jessie couldn't disagree with Meowth on that one. Her hair was like a magnet for pokemon to claw or bite off. She still remembered the times that the coordinator twerp's Skitty clawed her hair to the point it looked like a mop. If it wasn't for Gourgeist sharing her own two slices of bread with the rocketeer, she would have continued to sulk throughout breakfast. Though, something else did catch her eye…

"What is it with these people and the big headsets on one ear? Not the best fashion statement at all."

"Maybe they're bringing back the Walkman," James laughed at his own joke before pulling out a guidebook to the Ferrum region, "Those little devices are called AR Battlers. You can only get one if you plan on competing in the Ferrum League a.k.a Pokken Tournament."

"What's a Pokken?" Jessie asked with her eyebrow raised.

"Probably just a marketing gimmick to make this league sound tougher than the other ones," Meowth assumed.

"Wobbufett!"

"Not at all little dude in that meowth costume!"

A trainer and his Machop happen to overhear the trio from the next table, "Pokken Tournament is where your bond with your pokemon is pushed to greater levels. The AR Battlers hold a piece of Ferrums very own Synergy Stone."

"Synergy Stone?" Jessie and James asked at the same time.

"Inkay!" The revolving pokemon pointed to a group of people walking the in the streets below. People the trio were all familiar with.

Red hat, blue jacket, raven-black hair, brown eyes, and that red cheeked mouse on the boy's shoulder.

"No surprise the twerps are here with a tournament around the corner," James concluded, "and it looks like they added a few more members to the twerpy troupe."

Jessie recognized Miette from the showcases, but Alix and Nia were new to her, "That's the blue haired twerp with the Slurpuff, but the other two are new faces to me." Looking further she noticed Alix's Mawile hanging to his shoulders and smiled deviously, "Well now, looks like we have a chance to bag ourselves a Mawile along with Pikachu."

"It looks like the twerps are wearing the big headsets to," Meowth noticed.

"That's because the AR Headsets allow our pokemon to achieve burst mode in battles."

Team Rocket forgot that the trainer was still behind them. Since he seemed knowledgeable they decided to listen to him.

"Mind repeating that again?" asked James.

"Burst Mode, or more formally called Synergy Burst, allows pokemon to gain a boost in power for a short amount of time. It's important to make the most of that since pokémon that can achieve Mega Evolution evolve until the Synergy Burst powers down."

"Now that's an interesting phenomenon," Jessie smirked looking back toward James and Meowth, "If we can get our hands on those…battle whatever's we can give them to the boss and he'll give us our meal ticket!"

"And we should bag that Mega…Synergy Burst Stone while we're at it!" James agreed.

"Well quit your yappin'!" Meowth turned their heads back to the streets, "We need to get back to the balloon before we lose the twerps!"

The trio and there pokemon dash from the, almost knocking down the trainer giving them information. That said trainer yelled one last piece of advice:

"If you want a Battle AR just ask Nurse Joy for one at the pokemon Center! And good luck if you enter the tournament!"

* * *

 

“Look at all the pretty decorations!” Bonnie said as she was the first of the group to come out of the entrance building.

Each of the academy’s buildings were decorated with pokemon such as Lucario, Gardevoir, and even Braixen and Pikachu. Hanging on a few flag poles were flags of the legendary birds: Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. Everyone assumed they were the school’s mascots since Alix and Nia had the same Articuno emblem on their invitations.

A few students who still had class at the moment were partaking in various activities in the courtyard. Some were playing sports with their pokemon, some were having battles, and another group were performing with their pokemon.

“It looks you all had a lot of activities to do after classes,” said Miette.

“Well Professor Willow knew that everyone wasn’t interested in just pokemon battles,” Nia pointed toward various buildings as she explained, “I was in the gymnastics club and Alix was in the art club.”

“Oh, so you carry that tablet and stylus because you like to draw?” Serena remembered seeing Alix using it the night they were still on the ship.

“Yeah, it’s kind of my second hobby in addition to being a Pokemon Trainer,” Alix rubbed the back of his head and smiled, “there are many things you can see while traveling, so I like to make a quick sketch or photo in case I want to draw it later.”

“Mawile,” the steel/fairy-type nodded. She also enjoyed seeing different sights and watching her trainer draw them.

The group of seven continued toward the back of the school to see a group workers setting tables and banners around a field. There were also a few trainers hanging around the area waiting for the reunion to begin.

“Our pokemon should have some fun to,” Ash said as he tossed his pokeballs into the air.

“Okay everyone, it’s time to meet some new friends!” Alix smiled as he tossed his poke balls. Besides Mawile, Flareon and Flygon, the rest of his team consisted of: Sneasel, Espurr, and Lilligant.

“There all so cute!” Bonnie squealed. Dedenne and Squishy peeked out of her purse to see what was going on.

“So these are the rest of your pokemon,” Ash thought it was an interesting team. From the way the Alix described Ferrum, he would have expected the lilac-haired trainer to have at least one fighting type on his team.

“An Espurr huh?” Miette smiled at the psychic-type pokemon, “ _I sure Meowstic would like to meet it.”_

Everyone else released their pokemon with Nia’s being Weavile, Servine, Mismagus, and Gabite. The pokemon appeared to be getting along just fine, but Weavile was being distant. It declined a friendly handshake from Sneasel and climbed up a nearby tree. He made sure the branch could support his weight before taking a nap.

“I see that Weavile hasn’t changed a bit,” Alix chuckled as the dark/ice-type scoffed at him.

“Weavile must be the loner type,” Serena assumed.

“No, he just prefers to lay around when nothing’s going on,” Nia saw a few workers carry a scoreboard and a few more items, “maybe all of us will be able to have some fun when these activities begin.”

“If it’s okay Nia,” Clemont spoke up, “could we visit the Professor’s Labaoratory? I wanted to have a look at his inventions.”

Nia thought it over for a moment and made sure the lab was open to the public, “I guess it’s okay if we visit the lab. The rest of you up for a tour?”

“Sure!” said Bonnie. She turned around and saw Dedenne playing with Pikachu, Bunnelby, Flareon, and Sylveon, “do you want to come along Dedenne?”

“Ne ne!” He left the game of tag and hopped into Bonnie’s purse, making sure not to disturb Squishy.

“I think I’ll just stay out here and see who all came to the reunion,” said Alix.

“I kind of wanted to see the pokemon in the area,” Ash smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

“Just make sure the check up on the pokemon from time to time,” Nia said as she led the others into the building. Sylveon, Slurpuff, and Braixen also followed them into laboratory.

Ash and Alix walked across the courtyard. Pikachu and Mawile accompanied them, while the other pokemon stayed close together in the same area. Alix couldn't find anyone he knew, so he told Ash about his time at the school and that students choose their starter pokemon after the first semester. Professor Willow’s choice of starters was different from the other professor’s Ash has met.

“So, Professor Willow doesn’t restrict the starter pokemon to fire, water, and grass types?” Ash asked.

“He wanted everyone to have more choices,” Alix explained, “some people prefer psychic types, others prefer flying types, and some prefer bug types. What about you and Pikachu?”

“Pika pika,” Pikachu chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

“You see, I overslept on my first day of becoming a pokemon trainer. Two other trainers received charmander and bulbasaur from Professor Oak, while his grandson, and my rival, Gary Oak received squirtle. I really wanted to begin my journey right away, so Professor Oak gave me Pikachu and that was the beginning our adventures. And despite a ton of thundershocks that day, we became the best of friends after seeing a cool pokemon.”

“Pi pikachu!” the electric type agreed with his trainer.

“That’s certainly an interesting story,” Alix smiled and looked down at Mawile walking beside him, “Mawile wasn’t always the sweetheart you see today.”

“Maw Mawile,” Mawile turned away, her face redding a little. Whatever she said earned a chuckle out of Pikachu.

“Sceptile!”

The grass-type pokemon approached Ash and Alix, leaving the two confused. It had a green scarf wrapped around it’s arm, a mega stone held by the knot. When it looked over toward Greninja, Ash and Pikachu were surprised.

“Wait, are you-” Ash didn’t have time to finish his question as someone called his voice.

“Ash! You’re here too?”

A familiar face ran toward Ash. Not just once familiar face, but another one alongside a Blastoise.

“Sawyer, and Tierno!” Ash exclaimed. He was surprised to see the two of them here, let alone together.

“Should’ve known you’d be here,” Tierno crossed his arms and smirked. He and Sawyer looked at Alix, “Who’s this guy with the Mawile?”

“Oh, I’m Alix. I kind of told Ash and everyone about Ferrum, and now we’re team.”

“Maw Mawile!”

“Well don’t expect us to go easy on you just because you’re a new friend of Ash’s,” Sawyer smiled.

“Tile!”

Alix nodded at the challenge, “Same here!”

“So, I assume the two of you are part of the same team as well,” Ash placed his hands on his hips and smiled, “are Trevor and Shauna here too?”

“Trevor wanted to check out the school so our Advisor, Elle, took him, Shauna,” Tierno’s face turned red, making Ash and Alix raise their eyebrows, “and our two beautiful team members: Arianna and Lizia.”

“Anyway…,” Sawyer decided to change the subject, “How’s that transformation of Greninja’s? Have you two mastered it yet?”

“Perfected is more like,” Ash corrected, “Both of us are still trying to get use to that amount of power, so we try not go all out unless the battle calls for it.”

“Go all out?” asked Sawyer.

“Like how you fought that Dragonite and it looked like Greninja activated torrent,” Alix pulled up the photo on his tablet and switched to another photo that Bonnie took of Mawile and Greninja’s battle, “compared to this one...with the giant shuriken on his back?”

“Exactly,” said Ash.

“Hm, Mawile can mega-evolve to,” Sawyer quickly took note of it in his notebook.

“Oh yeah,” Ash pointed at Sceptile scarf, he and Pikachu smirking together, “We see you found a mega stone for Sceptile.”

“Sceptile and I found it while traveling in a forest,” Sawyer explained, “he could sense the mega stone in the presence of another sceptile, and the two battled for it.”.

“That’s how Mawile earned her mega stone; by facing another mawile in Glittering Cave,” Alix said as Mawile stretched her head band.

“Blastoise!” The water-type showed off his belt a with a mega stone in place of the buckle.

“The same goes for Blastoise and me to,” Tierno smirked with his arms crossed.

“I know Greninja has his transformation, but I feel a little left out of the whole mega evolution game huh Pikachu?” Ash chuckled.

“Pika,” Pikachu agreed, wondering if his next form, Raichu, had a Mega Evolution itself. Not that he needed to evolve of course.

“Well, we better get back to Team Experience,” Sawyer said as he packed up his notebook, “Where are Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie by the way?”

“They went into Professor Willow’s lab with our Advisor, Nia,” Ash answered.

“They probably met up with Shaun-“

Ash was cut off by the dust cloud Tierno left behind as he sped off for Serena. The dancing trainer was so excited, that he left Blastoise behind by accident.

Alix placed his hands on his hips, “He’s running toward the wrong building…”

“Then we better go after him. Let’s all catch up later okay?” Sawyer motioned for Sceptile and Blastoise to follow him as they walked in Tierno’s direction.

“You guys have some interesting friends,” Alix commented right before seeing a few familiar faces of his own, “and I just found a few of mine. Come on!”

* * *

 

“We weren’t expecting to see you guys here,” Serena said as she and Shauna walked around the main lobby of the school.

Clemont and Bonnie were checking out a few of the books with Trevor, Nia was talking with Elinn (who’s Braixen was hanging out with Serena’s Braixen), and Miette was looking at the pictures as she walked around. Serena noticed the bluenette study one of the pictures thoroughly.

“How did you all here about Pokken Tournament?” Serena asked as she and Shauna sat down on a bench.

“Tierno saw tv commercial playing in the pokemon Center,” Shauna recalled, “it was one of those ten second advertisements, so we had to do some research on it first. Then we set sail for the Ferrum Region. And you guys? I bet it was all Ash’s idea.”

Serena chuckled and fiddled with ribbon, “Not exactly. We met a trainer from Ferrum, who’s on our team, and I overheard him talking the synergy energy that Ferrum happens to be known for. We were hoping that it go give us a clue to-”

“Ash’s Greninja?” Serena looked at Shauna as if she was a mind reader, “One of our teammates said that he battled Ash, and that his Greninja did something incredible. Sawyer’s his name.”

“Sawyer’s here too?” Serena was surprised that she, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie have not seen anything related to Pokken until they met Alix, “It seems like everyone has heard about the Ferrum region, but us.”

“According to Elinn, it’s because Professor Willow doesn’t want the Synergy Stone to fall into the wrong hands while he is still researching them,” Shauna explained. “And she also said he was upset that Mayor Es Cadee of Neos City showed it off in one of the advertisements.”

“But our friend Alix said that the stones will only work in Ferrum,” Serena said.

“That is true young lady, but it’s not impossible for those who would use its power for selfish purposes.” A man dressed in a green and black shirt, black pants, and a lab coat overheard the girl’s conversation. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled. “Sorry for overhearing your conversation. I heard you mention one of my former student’s, Alix.”

“So…you must be a teacher at Professor Willow’s school,” Serena assumed.

The man chuckled, “Or a principal.” A sound went off on the man’s watch. “I think the festivities about to take place. I hope you ladies enjoy yourselves.” Before leaving, the man noticed Nia and Elinn and gave them a friendly wave before walking toward the double doors.

* * *

 

“I knew the four of you looked familiar,” Ash smiled as he shook hands with Alix’s former classmates. “My name’s Ash Ketchum, I’m a pokemon Trainer from Kanto and this is my partner Pikachu.” A Mightyena that playfully licked Alix and Mawile began to sniff Ash when he shook hand with its trainer.

Mightyena’s trainer called for him and decided to introduce herself to Ash. “Well it’s nice to meet you Ash, or see you again since we danced together at the party. My names Accalia and this is my partner Mightyena! Don’t worry, he won’t bite.”

Mightyena howled to introduce himself. Pikachu hopped off of Ash’s shoulder to shake the bite pokemon’s paw and earned a friendly lick in return.

“Name’s Orson and this is my partner Staraptor,” said a boy whose Staraptor greeted everyone with a chirp. “I remember seeing you at the Pokemon Sky Relay and that battle at the dance party. It was amazing how that girl’s eevee evolved into Sylveon during the battle, right Staraptor?”

“Star-raptor!” The predator pokemon raised his wing.

Orson moved over to Alix and elbowed him, “If we knew you were in Kalos, we would have invited you to dance party dude. There were a lot of cute girls there.”

“Thanks Ors, but we all know I’m not the best of dancers,” Alix chuckled lightly, looking at one of the green haired girls. It reminded Ash of how nervous Clemont was during that time.

“Same old Alix, I see,” came from the girl standing next to an Accelgor. “My name’s Shulin, and don’t go thinking that we’ll be an easy group just because three of our members are performers.”

“Accelgor!” the bug-type pokemon crossed its arms.

“Don’t worry, I never underestimate anyone whether they prefer to be a performer, trainer, or anything else,” Ash reassured.

Alix leaned forward with his hands on his hips. “Same old Shulin, I see.”

“Maw Mawile,” Mawile smiled as she mimicked her trainer.

“And last, but not least, I’m Sara,” Ash recognized this girl as she competed against Serena and Miette during the freestyle round of the master class showcase. “You said you’ve watched a few showcases right? Did you vote for me, Glaceon, and Leafeon?”

Ash rubbed the back of his head and chuckled, “Uh, well during the Master Class you were up against two of my friends so…”

Sara Lee laughed, “I understand Ash. Now what about you Alix? _You_ are one of my closest friends.”

“As long as you didn’t go up against Accalia and Shulin, you had my vote,” Alix hoped his other two friends would not question him on the matter.

“I thought you said you couldn’t remember who you voted for,” Ash reminded.

“That was about Miette and Serena,” Alix said in a mutter.

“That’s right,” Accalia recalled, “you are friends with Serena and Miette. Are they here with you?”

“They went to go check out the lab with Nia, our advisor,” Ash answered, “would you like to see them?”

“Sure,” Accalia looked back at her group for nods of approval, “our advisors a little late anyway since Concetta took a while to arrive in Ferrum. She needs to get regestered and everything.”

“Concetta’s back too?” Alix asked, getting excited. “It really is a class reunion.”

“More like a get together of geeks.”

Everyone looked toward the sound of that new voice. To the Ferrum trainers, it was an unpleasant sight. Another former student and one they were hoping not to see anytime soon.

 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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